Tag Archives: Toca Rivera

He’s the best of both worlds. He can take you down, and lift you back up again. Based on his body language that I’ve been reading, Jason Mraz is the most eloquent person I’ve ever come across. His style is quite selective, but has he got IT. If you don’t know that IT is, go to a concert and watch the screen rev you up for his performance as the film shows googles of licious polaroids until it is at the countdown when it gives you a glimpse backstage to where HE is rockin karoake running up the stairs and… on … to… the… stage – and, here we are. here we are. we’re still here.
allow me to say I was not prepared for such a performance? the wait was SO worth it.
After the earth-shaking performance, Toca, drummer, world-class chillin’ pro, and best friend of Jason, was so kind as to come back and take a polaroid phot-o with us and tell us about his friend The Gnome, who he carries with him everywhere. The Gnome is awesome because he goes all his favorite places Toca tells us – in fact, “he goes anywhere he wants; he’s got TONS of stories. He go got lost in the Salt Lake City airport once: spent a whole day sitting at this girl’s office who I just happened to call… and she says, is he wearing a pair of green pants, a yellow shirt, and a red jacket? yeah. and she goes, ‘he’s sitting here at my desk.’ No way would I ever have been able to find him.”
Toca met Jason in San Diego. No, no, “Jason met me. He just walked up and said ‘I don’t have a guitar but I’d like to play some songs,’ and my brother said, ‘here, take my guitar,’ and he sang some songs.”
And since then they’ve been everywhere. Carlos Sosa, sax-eteer, said that he really digged Singapore. Australia also was cool. “The show was great. Just a memorable show.” It’s always about the people – and that’s how it is with Jason. “He just makes an effort to be a good person” says Carlos. Jason is a natural – not so usual. 🙂

soundbites from our stint in the life of a groupie…
Cat filled us in on Jason’s early romances. She goes way back with Jason. They are practically from the same hometown. If only he knew…
Cat: “This is Cat. I’m very upset because I’ve known Jason since before he was a Somebody. I’ve known him since he was a Nobody. I loved him. I adored him. I know people who know him and I know people who have dated him. And basically I’m a Virginian, he’s a Virginian, and we should be Virginians together.
“So I totally know the girl who he totally leaned in to kiss, and I think she started it all. Her name is Melanie. She is in Broadway. They were down in Alexandria, down near the river, and he leaned in to kiss her.”
WHY NOT? WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?!?
“She was petite, beautiful, blonde, blue eyes, everything Hitler would want.” Thank you Cat.
“I drove all the way from North Dakota to Montana, flew to Spokane, and I’ve been camping here since 4:00. I KNOW I’ve come longer and loved him more and longer than anybody else here.” -Miss North Dakota, passionately, desperately. She was a sweetheart.
Toca came out and took a few pictures.
“I wish I was you [to Toca] because you get to harmonize with Jason Mraz. That’s my dream.” –adoring fan
“&%# **** hmmmmmm.” – filthy groupie
“Don’t cross the line! no, no, no! I see you!” -bodyguard to line-crossing fan, sternly.
Me to the Bodyguard, professionally curious: “What was your scariest experience ever?” Kindly Bodyguard, thoughtfully: “I got mobbed by a group of… women who were ‘the Other Way.’ [chuckle chuckle] That’s what we used to say at least – I’m old-fashioned. This one punched me and started going after me – I didn’t want to tackle her, but I had to. They were getting dangerous.” (was this at a Janet Jackson concert? I don’t know.)
“I want to …….” – slutty groupie – give us a bad name.
“We can sign your autograph, we’d be happy to!” – random guard-person, giddy.